Indigenous traditions key to biodiversity

Answer is a deeply rooted way of living with the land, says Huu-ay-aht member of West Coast Youth Collective

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Montreal, QC - Dec. 7 marks the beginning of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference. COP 15, Conference of the Parties, is being held in Montreal, the unceded territory of Kahnawake Mohawk First Nation. Governments from countries around the world will come together to negotiate and create a new framework of goals and strategies, known as the Post2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, to minimize biodiversity loss and preserve nature. These goals will then be carried into the next decade of conservation work throughout the 196 countries involved. According to Global Risks Report 2022, the top three threats for the next decade on a global scale are climate action failure, extreme weather, and biodiversity loss. The document indicates that 10 per cent of biodiversity risk mitigation eff orts have not started, 67 per cent are in early stages, 21 per cent are established, and only two per cent are considered eff ective. It defi nes “biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse” as “irreversible consequences for the environment, humankind, and economic activity, and a permanent destruction of natural capital, as a result of species extinction and/or reduction,” the document reads. As the convention begins Montreal, Aboriginal voices take the forefront at the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity press conference, discussing the intertwined connection of biodiversity conservation and Indigenous ways of being. Lakpa Nuri Sherpa, co-chair of International Indigenous Forum of Biodiversity and program lead at Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, said it’s important “to look [at] Indigenous peoples as rights holders, as leaders, and also as partners to conservation of all the discussions that we are having.” “It’s very important for the Post 2020-Global Biodiversity Framework to really enhance this relational value of nature and peoples together with the culture,” he said. “There are so many… good practices [and] the customary traditional values that Indigenous peoples are doing all over the world that are the very key to the problem we are discussing in the [Convention of Biodiversity].” Canada’s conservation eff orts continue to align with conserving 30 per cent of

Photo submitted by Aya Clappis While Justin Trudeau addresses COP 15 at the opening ceremony, members of the West Coast Youth Collective hold a sign reading, “Indigenous genocide equal ecocide, to save biodiversity stop invading our lands, colonialism can’t save you”. land and ocean by 2030. “Again, the science here is clear, 30 per cent is the minimum necessary to address the biodiversity and climate crisis. It’s a fl oor, it’s not a ceiling,” said Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s minister of Environment and Climate Change, in his opening remarks. “The world’s largest countries, geographically, such as Canada, are critical in this eff ort, and we are committed to play our part.” In the closing remarks of the International Indigenous forum for Biodiversity Press Conference, Chrissy Grant spoke about Indigenous peoples around the globe who are concerned about the 30 by 30 framework. “I think we need to be really clear about what that 30 by 30 is about, what it means when we say 30 per cent protection of land and waters,” she said. “It needs to have careful consideration by parties at this meeting to identify and defi ne what that 30 per cent means.” The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework draft indicates a number of goals, including protecting 30 per cent of land and water globally. With biodiversity and climate change so deeply interlinked, the framework is an eff ort to combat the challenges faced with climate change, while preserving rare ecosystems with signifi cant biodiversity. Once fi nalized, the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will replace Aichi Biodiversity targets. Attending the conference is the West Coast Youth Collective with delegates from Tla’amin, Homalco, Gixstan, Dene, Musqueam, and Huu-ay-aht. Aya Clappis of Huu-ay-aht First Nations is part of the collective. They have been involved in youth-based activism that advocates for Indigenous rights, land, and water. “I will be attending meetings, marching in demonstrations, building art, and connecting with international as well as local Kahnawake youth,” wrote Clappis in an email to Ha-Shilth-Sa. Clappis said that members of the West Coast Youth Collective are at the conference advocating for Indigenous rights, a livable future, for forests, and water. These are all important because they are tied together by salmon, which is presently at risk due to industry and climate change, Clappis said. “It was really important for us to come as a delegation because Indigenous people are traditionally excluded from these spaces, or have been historically,” said Clappis. Clappis said that the collective’s delegates are bringing issues that are happening on their territories to politicians, policymakers, and scientists at COP 15. They stand for solutions to issues regarding biodiversity loss and climate change that are far more than policy, naturebased solutions, and frameworks, they continued. “These nature-based solutions, which are rooted in the commodifi cation of our lands, are not the answer and policy can’t simply be the answer,” said Clappis. “Our response as a delegation is, the answer is rooted in our ways of life as… West Coast Indigenous people,” said Clappis. “The answer needs to be placebased, the answer needs to be rooted in Indigenous law, in our ways of being, [and] our ways of relating to the land.” The West Coast Youth Collective will be participating in two panels: Biodiversity = Land Back: Reawakening Indigenous Sovereignty for Biodiverse Futures, and Our Forests are the Frontline: Indigenous Youth Resistance to Industrial Forestry Along the West Coast. Clappis said they are looking forward to the youth demonstrating, “that we don’t necessarily need Western science to tell us what’s going on in our land because our people have been in relation to the land for so long that we understand it just by living with the land.”

Wishing you a joyous Holiday Season and a New Year fi lled with happiness and prosperity!

Page 12— Ha-Shilth-Sa—December 15, 2022 President’s message to Nuu-chah-nulth-aht

I would like to extend my condolences to all those who have lost a loved one in the past few months. I would also like to thank Mariah Charleson for her years of hard work as vice-president of the NTC. I have enjoyed working with her in the past three years. She was hard working, cared for the people, and was a good spokesperson and advocate for our rights. I will miss working with her. The B.C. Court of Appeal ruled on what we are calling the “smudging case”, where one our education workers had an elder demonstrate smudging. They did not smudge any of the children, only showed how to smudge. One of the mother’s whose child was in the classroom brought a lawsuit to say her child’s right to religion was breached. The court dismissed the appeal. The Court stated that “Neither event breached the appellant’s freedom of religion or the duty of state neutrality. The trial judge did not make an error in his fi ndings of fact that the children did not participate in the smudging or the prayer and the school did not promote or favour a set of beliefs. The judge considered all the evidence from people present at the events.” I am happy with this result and that we can continue to be teaching our culture in schools. This has been a very busy month. We had a couple days of meetings with the provincial cabinet ministers. This was the fi fth year of the First Nations Leadership Gathering. There are plenary sessions on various subjects, such as the alignment of laws and the Heritage Conservation Act Transformation project. There are also opportunities to meet with cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and assistant deputy ministers. Over 900 short meetings happened. Meetings are only 15 minutes long and you have to be concise and to the point to make sure your meeting is worthwhile. I met with many ministers in the two days of meetings. Strangely enough, the meetings were on November 29th and 30th, and on December 7th the new Premier, David Eby, made major changes to his cabinet. So we met with ministers whose portfolios changed a couple of days later. They promised us that any promises made would be kept by the next minister. Will the new premier make a diff erence in what Nuu-chah-nulth are trying to accomplish? Only time will tell, but he did for the fi rst time ever have a swearing in at Musqueam and not at the usual Government House. He also appointed Doug White of Snuneymuxw and Hupacasath to be his legal advisor on reconciliation. There are no Indigenous ministers in his cabinet. Josie Osborne Is now the minister Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. We are hoping that she will work with First Nations to create economic opportunities for clean energy. There haven’t been any clean energy economic opportunities since 2019 despite then-premier John Horgan’s promised to do so. I also attended virtually the Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly for three days. Changes were made to the AFN charter and constitution regarding adding Newfoundland as a region, and trying to make things more gender equitable for women and LGBTQQ2L. Confl ict of interest guidelines were also added. The $40-billion package from Canada regarding compensation for children who had been in care, and reform for children in care going home, was approved. Getting to common ground took some doing but in the end a motion was arrived at to accept the package. There were over 80 motions proposed but it is likely we only got through 20. We need to fi nd another way of doing business so we can get through all of the business. I had put forward a motion to get the AFN executive to lobby for DFO cooperation in the upcoming International Marine Protected Areas Congress in February 2023. This will be one of the bigger gatherings regarding marine protected areas for Indigenous peoples. I will be speaking at it in Vancouver. The fi nancial agreement called ARFA for eight of our Nuu-chah-nulth Nations will expire at the end of March 2023 and must be re-negotiated, so we have been having internal meeting with the eight Nations and staff as well as meetings with Indigenous Services Canada. For 12 of our nations, our health agreement is also ending March 31, 2023. We have been working on preparing for negotiations with the FNHA. I was asked to be an expert witness at the Public Order Emergency Commission that was reviewing the Ottawa convoy incident. Experts were asked to speak about various subjects, not particularly about the Ottawa incident, but to help the commissioner make recommendations on specifi c issues around protests and emergencies. I was on the roundtable on interjurisdictional responses on protests and emergencies. I was the only Indigenous expert in the weeklong hearing of experts, which comprised 10 sessions. I tried to address as much as I could on the other subjects, including defi ning emergencies, critical infrastructure and services. Also including First Nations in the Emergencies Act and Emergency Management Act, as right now we are not. I have also been working on asking First Nations about the health governance structure we have now with the First Nations Health Authority and the health committee and asking how the structure could be more accountable to First Nations. I would like to wish all of you a very happy solstice, merry Christmas and a happy new year for 2023. Hope the new year will bring good change for your families, communities and for all Nuuchah-nulth. Enjoy your time away from work, if you have that, and rejuvenate your spirits for January 2023.

December 51, 2022—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 13 Employment and Training

Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations Job Posting - KCFN HR Manager

Summary: The HR Manager maintains and enhances the organization’s human resources by planning, implementing, and evaluating employee relations and human resources policies, programs, and practices. The HR Manager will report to the Director of Operations. Must be willing to travel between the Campbell River and Houpsitas offi ce.

View full job description at ww.hashilthsa.com/careers-training

Deadline to Apply: Jan 23, 2023 at 4:00pm Please send your cover letter and resume to Tracy Moulaison, Director of Operations at tracym@kcfi rstnations.com or mail or drop off : KCFN Offi ce 1250 C Ironwood St., Campbell River V9W 6H5

More job postings at www.hashilthsa.com

Women’s Sevens team competed in Dubai and Cape Town this month as part of an Olympic qualifying season

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Cape Town, South Africa – Shalaya Valenzuela, 23, is a busy, young Tseshaht woman, pursuing a university degree while competing on Canada’s Women’s Rugby Sevens team in Cape Town, South Africa on the weekend of Dec 9 to 11. She is part of an ensemble with members from across the nation representing the Canadian National Rugby Sevens senior women’s team. They fi rst competed in Dubai early this month and wore the red and white in Cape Town, South Africa last weekend. According to Rugby Canada, rugby sevens is a stripped-down version of the sport with just seven players, instead of 15, on each team playing on a full-sized pitch. “With fewer bodies and extra space on the pitch, games are fast-paced, full of breakaway sprints and exciting tries,” states Rugby Canada. There are two seven-minute halves with a one-minute half-time break. Shalaya plays center for the team in a contact sport that can be brutal. For father Richard Valenzuela, it can be hard to watch a game. “One time she got knocked out and another time she lost her front teeth…I just cringe,” he said. He is, however, very proud of his daughter who just fi nished playing in a tournament in Dubai earlier this month. According to the Canadian Rugby website, Canada’s Women’s Sevens placed 9th in Dubai. They travelled to Cape Town, South Africa for their next tournament. “I’m excited and grateful for this opportunity,” said Shalaya. “I’ve been playing rugby for 10 years and spent the last two years training full-time with Maple Leaf Academy.” According to Rugby Canada, the Maple Leaf Academy (MLA) is a program that supports up-and-coming female players who aspire to be selected to Canada’s Women’s Sevens team and compete at the Olympic Games and on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. They go on to say that the MLA is a full-time commitment for these players who train Monday to Friday for fi ve hours per day. These athletes receive the added benefi t of training alongside the senior women’s sevens team for many of their sessions. “After years of hard work, I got called up to the senior national team this summer,” Shalaya shared. “This season is important for our team as it’s an Olympic qualifying season.” According to Abbey News, an Abbotsford publication, the women’s team earned a total of four points in Dubai and sit in ninth place in the 13-team series. In South Africa, the women’s team tied with France but lost to the US on Dec. 9. They placed 8th in the tournament. “I’m proud to be in this position as an Indigenous athlete and be able to be a role model for other Indigenous athletes with big dream,” said Valenzuela. “It’s a surreal feeling playing alongside the women I watched and looked up to as a child. I’ve taken it all in and now its time to become that person for another kid,” continued Shalaya, adding that she is proof that if you pursue and fi ght for what you are passionate about, your dreams can become a reality. When she’s not playing rugby, Shalaya studies as a third-year Criminal Justice student. “I don’t know what I want to do yet but I could use it (her degree) to get into law or something in youth crime prevention,” she shared. “As her father I am so proud of her for not only the successes, but for her determination despite the struggles along the way,” said Richard. “Rugby brings her joy and all I ever want is for my daughter to be happy.”

Submitted photo Shalaya Valenzuela, 23, is currently competing internationally with the Canada’s Women’s Rugby Sevens team. They played in Cape Town, South Africa on the weekend of Dec 9 to 11.